Ministry of Women and Child Development
On International Day of the Girl Child,Union Minister ,Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani emphasizes on skilling, empowerment & non-traditional livelihoods for girls and convergence between Ministries and Departments
Ministry of Women and Child Development organizes National Conference on Skilling in Non- Traditional Livelihood for Girls “Betiyan Bane Kushal”
Interaction between Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani and a group of adolescent girls a key highlight of the programme
The Ministry of Women and Child Development , in partnership with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship  and Ministry of Minority Affairs organized “Betiyan Banein Kushal”, an inter-ministerial conference on non-traditional livelihoods  for adolescent girls on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child, here today.
Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani was the chief guest on the occasion. Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Shri Indevar Pandey, Secretary WCD, Shri Atul Kumar Tiwari Secretary MSDE , Shri Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, Ms. Sujata Chaturvedi, Secretary, Department of Sports, MYAS , Chairperson NCPCR ,Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, representatives from States and senior officials from the Ministry of WCD were present among others at the conference.
Delivering her address, Union Minister for Women and Child Development ,Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani Minister said that the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign was launched by the Prime Minister ,Shri Narendra Modi in 2015. She emphasized on convergence between various Ministries to work towards empowering girls with quality education and equal opportunities. She said that the country cannot progress if girls and women are not empowered. She said that the Government has always encouraged and empowered girls to pursue vocation of their choice irrespective of gender stereotypes.
A key highlight of the programme included an interaction between Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani and a group of adolescent girls who have overcome child marriage, gender-based discrimination and financial hardships to carve a niche for themselves in NTLs. During this interaction , the Minister said that the Ministry of WCD will also work towards counselling to girls for choosing academic streams after school and making available skill sets to those in Child Care Institutions to facilitate their financial independence and empowerment.
In his address, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State for Women and Child Development said that under the stewardship of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government has heralded a renewed age of “Nari Shakti” or Woman Power. He said that Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao  has been one of the most successful programmes, run by the Government.
Shri Indevar Pandey, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development said that it is our collective duty to work towards the upliftment of women in our society and contribute towards the path of inclusivity and equality.He said that Nari Shakti will take our country to new heights .
Expanding upon the MSDE’s role, Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary MSDE said that MSDE is working to provide a safe and gender friendly skilling environment for young girls and promoting the enrolment of more girls for training.He also said that convergence between various Ministries will facilitate increased, equal and empowered participation of women in the workforce.
Shri Mukhmeet Singh Bhatia, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs said that Ministry has undertaken skilling programs for improving employability and livelihood for the marginalized. He said educational initiatives have been taken to enhance socio-economic status of marginalized girls/young women.
Talking about the various initiatives taken by Department of Sports, Smt. Sujata Chaturvedi said that Department of Sports is emphasizing on increasing the participation of women in various sports disciplines.
Shri Priyank Kanoongo said that central government schemes are serving as an enabler in removing the barriers and challenges in holding educational and skill training for girls.
Smt. Archana Awasthi , Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education pointed out that vocationalisation of school education has been made an integral part of Samagra Shiksha scheme which ensures universal access to school education, promotes equity through the inclusion of disadvantaged groups and weaker sections, and improves the quality of education .
The “Betiyan Banein Kushal” event was livestreamed to a nationwide audience. The event started with the introduction to Non-Traditional Livelihood Skills and steps taken by the government towards skilling of girls.. A film showcasing innovation, entrepreneurship, STEM education. civic leadership, and financial literacy was screened on the occasion. Key factors affecting Girls participation in NTL and Pathways to ensure long-term engagement and sustainability of girls in NTL was highlighted .
MoU was signed as a joint commitment to skilling girls by MWCD, MSDE & MoMA. It emphasises convergence between Ministries and Departments to ensure that adolescents complete their education, build their skills and enter the workforce in a diverse set of professions, including science, technology, engineering and mathematics , where girls have historically been under-represented.
Best practices on adolescent skilling were showcased and representatives from the private sector and civil society presented case studies on sustainable inclusion of girls and women in NTLs.
The MWCD also launched the BBBP manual which lays out operational guidelines and avenues for convergence between ministries and departments, and announced the setting up of a Skills management portal for BBBP on 21st-century skills focusing on life and employability skills, entrepreneurship skills, digital literacy and financial literacy skills.